Moon Over Manifest

My best friend and I had sleepovers where we would sneak out of the house in the middle of the night. My friend got hung up on the windowsill with her head in the bathroom and the feet dangling outside. I reached up, grabbed her feet which were above my head, and yanked with all my strength. She sailed backward taking the screen with her and crashing loudly on top of me. We smothered our hysterical laughter and took off running.

Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool, reminds me of the ways we entertained ourselves over the summer. Abilene, the main character, has been sent to the town of Manifest by her father who doesn't tell her why. She makes two friends and the girls have fun spying on townsfolk, solving mysteries, and playing in the nearby woods. When Abeline finds a mysterious box under her floorboards with momentos and letters, the three decide to find out who the Rattler is in town. The letters introduce the characters, Ned and Jinx, who are from 20 years ago when WWI was happening, the Klu Klux Klan was terrorizing people, and an unsafe mine  with an unsavory boss put lives at risk. Abeline meets Miss Sadie who gives her more history on the two boys and the town. She also discovers why her Dad sent her to Manifest.

The story is engaging to read. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are articles written by Hattie Mae and advertisements for concoctions promising to cure anything and everything. I got annoyed with these articles interrupting the story. The author was giving the historical flavor of the time but it was jarring at times.

Reading Level 5.1

:-) :-) :-) 3.5 Smileys